BEASTIE BOYS- PAUL’S BOUTIQUE
Okay, so I’m doing my second listen and, yeah, it’s pretty much what I would expect from the Beasties. I guess the best way for me is to compare this to their first album, Licensed To Ill. I remember that album as being like a breath of fresh air as they rapped to samples from the likes of Led Zeppelin for example. It seemed well ahead of its time.
Paul’s Boutique sort of expands on that with their varied samples but it is much more complex than Licensed To Ill. Here, they are using obscure soul samples at times along with a few rock riffs. Not surprisingly, my favorite track is the Sounds of Science with all the Beatles samples, particularly The End that also appears to be the most in your face sample on the entire album.
SGR mentioned that it became harder to record samples after this album for legal reasons. That’s a shame because it really was a unique form that was certain to be a major genre in the nineties.
In the end, I really like this album. There may be better Beastie Boys material out there (Licensed To Ill, tracks like Sabotage, etc.), but this has to rate as one of the better hip hop albums made by white boys. Good pick, SGR.
8/10 (The Word has spoken
)